Anti-Odor Workout Clothes May Not Actually Work

Something smelled fishy about those claims.

Lululemon and many other brands sell fitness clothes made with special fabrics that are designed to keep you dry and smelling *~fAbUlOuS~* (or at least not terrible), no matter how much you sweat. Because the heat and sweat you produce when you exercise breeds foul-smelling bacteria that can deteriorate and discolor run-of-the-mill fabrics (and generally make you less popular at the gym), these high-tech textiles are pretty genius – if they're actually effective.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

While experts know that fabrics made from polyester blends and other synthetic materials wick moisture away from skin, they haven't tested antimicrobial fabrics, which are treated with a special solution designed to kill the bacteria, microbes, yeast, fungus, and mold that thrive on sweaty clothes, outside the lab. The thing is, exposure to real-life conditions can change the way a product performs. It's why a bunch of researchers at University of Alberta in Canada recently tested different kinds of antimicrobial fabrics currently being used in fitness clothes on Real Humans.

In the study, 19 adults taped two swabs of fabric (one sterile, untreated swab, and one sterile swab treated with one of three antimicrobial solutions) to their arms during a series of three 24-hour experiments. After each experiment, researchers tested the fabric and the skin for bacteria. The results: Bacteria grew underneath the untreated fabrics, as expected. Two of the antimicrobial fabrics (those treated with triclosan or zinc pyrithione solutions) appeared to reduce bacterial growth on the fabric — but also on the skin. This suggests that the antimicrobial solutions, which are supposed to remain intact on the fabric through wear, tear, and washings, leached onto the skin and may not be durable enough to remain effective over time, says study co-author Rachel McQueen, a researcher at University of Alberta in Canada. While her research didn't consider related health implications, the durability issues raise a red flag because the treated fabrics aren't intended to kill bacteria on your skin — and you need those little buggers to keep your skin healthy.

The third antimicrobial fabric (treated with silver chloride-titanium dioxide) didn't significantly reduce bacterial growth, probably for one of these three reasons: because proteins in participants' skin deactivated the antimicrobials, because the solution wasn't applied to the fabric correctly, or because there wasn't enough skin moisture to activate the antimicrobial treatment, McQueen says.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Interestingly, the researchers also tested these fabrics' effectiveness in a lab setting. The results were inconsistent with human tests and all over the place in terms of effectiveness.

TL;DR: Clothing made with antimicrobial fabrics might not effectively repel bacteria and foul smells, but there's no evidence (yet) that they can harm your skin. Sweat-wicking fabrics are still a definite do — regardless of their claims to prevent stench. A healthy dose of deodorant and washing clothes with a special detergent after each wear can help in that department until scientists sniff out a more reliable solution. (McQueen says she's heard rave reviews about No Sweat.) Oh, and liberal spritz of Febreze, which is designed to trap unpleasant scents on fabric, can mask any offensive odors that emanate from your gym bag between washes.